Model and actor Howard Wang has distanced himself from the furore over his former girlfriend's abortion, claiming she went ahead with the procedure without his knowledge.
Pilawan ‘Muay’ Ahreerob.
Howard and his former flame, model Pilawan ''Muay'' Ahreerob, are facing legal action by police after Muay admitted she aborted Howard's baby in early January. She said Howard and his mother told her they did not want the child, and forced her to have the abortion.
Last month Howard denied Muay's claim, while admitting he took her to the clinic to have the procedure done. He insisted the decision was a joint one.
Last week he took a step back from that position, claiming he knew nothing about her decision.
''On the day she had her abortion, Muay called me to say she was feeling unwell,'' Howard told reporters.
''She asked me to take her to a clinic in town, and gave directions as I drove. She did not tell me what she was doing. She went upstairs while I waited below,'' he said, insisting he did not know Muay was intending to end her pregnancy.
''She was back in hardly any time at all, but looked pale,'' he said.
Howard admits they had discussed the future of Muay's pregnancy, but insisted neither he nor his mother told her to end it.
''I have no experience of such things,'' he said, when challenged about his claim that he knew nothing about her plans. ''It was just a small clinic in town.''
Asked if he was not now going back on his word, Taiwanese-born Howard said his Thai is not strong, and he may have misunderstood the reporter's questions.
Muay gave testimony to Lumpini police on Monday, a week after visiting police from the Children and Women's Welfare Division, when she identified the clinic in Sukhumvit Soi 12.
She was accompanied by activist Supensri Pungkoaksung, of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, which is providing Muay with legal advice.
The former Maxim model claimed Howard called her on the day of her abortion to say he knew of a clinic where she could have the procedure done.
Lumpini police have twice visited the clinic where Muay says she underwent her abortion, but can find no record of her having been there.
On Monday, Muay presented a document from Paolo Memorial Hospital naming the doctor who took care of her pregnancy. Police say they will check the document with the hospital, and if it turns out Mauy was indeed pregnant, are likely to call her in to answer charges.
Muay answered police questions for an hour. She told reporters that Howard had made no contact since the saga began.
''I wish he would front up. He has left me to handle this saga alone. People have condemned me for having an abortion, but two people were involved in that decision,'' she said.
Lumpini police chief Pol Col Chanin Wachirapanikun said officers asked Muay to confirm the name of the clinic where she had the abortion.
She was unable to identify it clearly, as she was crying so much.
Howard said police had yet to call him in for questioning. He has asked his lawyer to look after the matter.
''I will go if necessary, but I would rather not be photographed by the media sitting in a police station. It doesn't look good,'' he said.
Howard said he was likely to enter the monkhood next month, and travel to the US to continue his education.
He said he would wind down his involvement in the local entertainment industry for the time being, as he had received offers to work in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Phupoom ‘Ken’ Pongpanu.
Ken's no Barbie doll
Actor and model Phupoom ''Ken'' Pongpanu has never been under the cosmetic surgeon's knife, insists his manager, Supachai ''A'' Sriwichit.
''The most he's ever had is vitamin C and Botox injections. He's never been under the knife,'' A said last week, in response to claims by outspoken director Poj Anon that the young actor had undergone two nose jobs and had grown too big for his boots.
A and Poj exchanged barbs in the media last week over the Ken saga, after Poj told a television show last month that Ken, formerly known as Adiphong ''BellBell'' Pongpanu, was in danger of forgetting himself.
Poj said he had cast BellBell, as he was then known, to play supporting roles in two of his movies, including the ladyboy comedy horror Hor Taew Taek 2.
He said the young actor, who was once a member of his talent stable, now denies he ever appeared in the movie.
He had also sought two nose jobs, and changed his name twice, so keen was he to make his mark.
Asked about the remarks, Ken denied ever having cosmetic surgery, or trying to erase the fact he had acted in Poj's campy films.
The young actor admitted to having changed his name from BellBell to Ken, saying his manager A took his name to a fortune-teller, who advised that a name change would bring him good luck.
A said last week that if Ken's nose now looked more prominent than before, it was because the state of his teeth had improved. BellBell had dental work done, at Poj's suggestion.
Denying Ken had forgotten his humble origins in the industry and was the ungrateful type, A said he had worked out how many people to whom Ken owes an obligation, and come up with a list of 499.
''They are mainly members of his fan club. All they need do is admire his work, and already Ken owes them. There's only one name missing from that list,'' he said, referring to Poj.
Poj said he didn't mind being left off A's list of people to whom Ken owes thanks.
''I know he won't mention me. If he does, everyone will know it was me who introduced BellBell to the industry,'' Poj said.
''I encouraged him to take modelling work, and cast him as an extra in my films.
''I have never claimed to have turned BellBell into a star, but if a former extra whose potential I spotted can be moulded into a star, then I am delighted,'' he said.
Poj insists he didn't mean any harm when he criticised BellBell. ''I was merely offering some advice. The moment a celebrity forgets who he is, he ends up in trouble.
''Anyone who has been under the surgeon's knife knows it in his heart, even if he won't admit it. Besides, I never claimed Ken underwent cosmetic surgery _ I said BellBell did,'' he joked.
Pakin ‘Tono’ Kumvilaisak.
Tono no gigolo
Actor and singer Pakin ''Tono'' Kumvilaisak denies rumours he sold his body while visiting Germany as a hard-up traveller in his youth.
''I went to wash dishes in a restaurant and scrub toilets,'' he said last week when rumours about his German adventures surfaced. He had visited Germany as a youngster for three months.
''Women occasionally flirted with me, but I had nothing to offer them, as I had no money,'' he said.
Tono, who sprang to prominence in The Star 6 singing quest, said he was working with fellow Thais, many of them visiting Germany on tourist visas.
''The Thais I saw there were in difficulty and in a sorry state. We helped each other and showed each other generosity.
''I owe a debt to almost everyone I met, from the owner of the restaurant, to the waiting staff and singers.
''I wanted money, but if you asked me to sell my body, I'd rather die,'' he said, denying rumours he had also found himself a farang wife in Germany.
